I enjoy the LDS sight meridianmagazine.com. Today there was a beautiful Christmas article entitled "Our Place in the Christmas Story" by Wallace Goddard He quoted the following from a book by Dennis Rasmussen called "The Lord's Question" I think it is the nicest thing I have read in a long time about Christmas.
A thousand years before a thousand years ago a holy night descended on the world.
In the darkness of Bethlehem the omnipotent God became an impotent Baby.
The hands that made the world and hung the stars in the sky were now just large enough to grasp a mother’s finger ...
What would be said of a God who came not in glory but in secret,
a King who came not to command but to obey ...
He revealed that man’s greatness is not to be found in dominion over the will of another but in submission to the will of God ...
He began his life in a stable, that no one should ever feel too lowly to approach him ...
And now that I have come, what gift shall I leave before him?
I know, because he has told me, what will gladden his heart:
"Love one another; as I have loved you … By this shall men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another."
As I bring the gift of love, I shall see the smile of my Lord Jesus Christ.
Garden Veggies
Made into tile for my stove backsplash
Portland Rose Garden
Mike and my 2 youngest sons Ian and Leif
Grandson Michael's Birthday 2014 throwing water balloons
With son Beau, Grandson Luke and his mom Jennifer
Maren
I cut this out of a wedding line. I must take more pictures of her.
Saturday, December 22, 2007
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
Creamy Lemon Chicken
Last night I had 28 people from my bookclub to dinner and I served the following recipe that I got from my sister-in-law Alicia Chilcote. I served all these people with 6 large chicken breasts. I know it is hard to believe but I made 35 cutlets from these breasts which were extra large. It is a great recipe and easy to do ahead. With 6 breasts you will probably need more croutons, eggs and flour.
Creamy Lemon Chicken
6 Chicken Breast (boneless, skinless)
or 12 chicken tenders
1 cube of butter or ½ C light olive oil
1 can of Chicken broth (I like 2 cans)
2 eggs beaten w/a little water
1 cup of flour w/salt, pepper, and paprika
1 box of seasoned crouton crushed
silvered almonds (opt)
1 cup
sliced lemons
Trim chicken and pound several times (about ½ inch thick) to tenderize. (I usually cut chicken breast in 3-5 pieces) then dip each breast in flour mixture then egg and then crushed croutons. This can be done the night before. Melt butter (I use light olive oil) Brown each piece nicely on each side. (I like to do this on a griddle as you can do a lot at one time and put a small amount of oil under each cutlet.)
Reduce heat and add chicken broth (almonds are added at this time) and simmer about 30 min. until tender. (I have browned the meat the day or morning before and put in a casserole dish. Then an hour before serving add the broth and bake covered 350 for about an 1 hour) I heat the broth before pouring it over the chicken if I am baking it. I like to add 2 T. dried onion and about ½ Tsp Tyme and ½ Tsp Marjoram and simmer the broth a little before pouring over the chicken. Costco has a big bag of garlic croutons that I blend in a processor to a medium fine consistency for coating the chicken.
Whip cream and add salt, yes salt just to taste (about ½ teasp for a pint.) To serve place chicken on platter and top with a slice of lemon and top with whipping cream. To eat squeeze lemon and spread cream over chicken. ( just before serving I squeeze a little lemon over the casserole of chicken and then have a bowl of lemons for more personal squeezes and the whipped cream passed in a bowl for the individual to put on as much as they want. )
Creamy Lemon Chicken
6 Chicken Breast (boneless, skinless)
or 12 chicken tenders
1 cube of butter or ½ C light olive oil
1 can of Chicken broth (I like 2 cans)
2 eggs beaten w/a little water
1 cup of flour w/salt, pepper, and paprika
1 box of seasoned crouton crushed
silvered almonds (opt)
1 cup
sliced lemons
Trim chicken and pound several times (about ½ inch thick) to tenderize. (I usually cut chicken breast in 3-5 pieces) then dip each breast in flour mixture then egg and then crushed croutons. This can be done the night before. Melt butter (I use light olive oil) Brown each piece nicely on each side. (I like to do this on a griddle as you can do a lot at one time and put a small amount of oil under each cutlet.)
Reduce heat and add chicken broth (almonds are added at this time) and simmer about 30 min. until tender. (I have browned the meat the day or morning before and put in a casserole dish. Then an hour before serving add the broth and bake covered 350 for about an 1 hour) I heat the broth before pouring it over the chicken if I am baking it. I like to add 2 T. dried onion and about ½ Tsp Tyme and ½ Tsp Marjoram and simmer the broth a little before pouring over the chicken. Costco has a big bag of garlic croutons that I blend in a processor to a medium fine consistency for coating the chicken.
Whip cream and add salt, yes salt just to taste (about ½ teasp for a pint.) To serve place chicken on platter and top with a slice of lemon and top with whipping cream. To eat squeeze lemon and spread cream over chicken. ( just before serving I squeeze a little lemon over the casserole of chicken and then have a bowl of lemons for more personal squeezes and the whipped cream passed in a bowl for the individual to put on as much as they want. )
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
The Best Carmel Popcorn in the World!
This is 2 batches one wrapped ready for giving and the second cooling. I have enough for all my favorite people.
OK, Maybe the "Best" in a world is a little presumptuous but it just might be. It makes a lot and is very easy. If you are going to cook something during the Holidays it should be a lot so you can share.
Pop 4 hot air poppers of corn using 1/3 C. of corn for each batch. (Go get a hot air popper at DI if you don't have one. This is all I use mine for.) Put the popped corn in a very large bowl or pan.
(I bought a plastic bowl that holds about 5 gallons to make this in. A very big soup pot will work)
In a large heavy pan or Dutch oven stir together:
¾ C. butter
½ C. Honey
2 C. Brown Sugar
½ C. Whipping cream (can use evaporated milk it tastes almost as good)
After a good boil starts boil 5-8 min. if you like crisper popcorn cook longer. .
Remove from heat add:
1 tsp. Vanilla
1 tsp. Baking Soda
3-4 Cups unsalted nuts (Can use toasted almonds, mixed nuts, peanuts, cashews…but no salt)
Stir the nuts into the caramel mixture after the soda and vanilla and pour over the popcorn. Stir to coat popcorn thoroughly. Put two sheets of wax paper together about 2 feet long each on a counter or table and spread the popcorn out in a shallow layer to dry for an hour or two.
If you want to make is especially decadent: (My family now insists on the chocolate) melt 2 - 12 oz. pkg. of good milk choc. chips like Giradelli or bulk chocolate chopped up and pour over the popcorn. This is how I melt chocolate: chopped up or chips in a shallow glass dish and in the oven with the oven light on. It takes 4-5 hours but the low heat keeps it from going grainy. I block of chocolate in the oven light overnight will melt without chopping. Or you can put the chopped chocolate in a glass bowl and set it over a pot of very hot water and stir until melted.
Monday, December 3, 2007
Christmas Letter
MERRY CHRISTMAS TO MY DEAR FAMILY AND FRIENDSDecember 2007
Wow! What a year this has been for us. In some ways it seems a bit unreal. After living in our house in Farmington for 29 years I didn’t think we would ever leave. In October 2006 we became enchanted with a lot we walked by every morning on our hill climb. It is in a gated area where there will be 35 houses and someone will shovel the snow and mow our lawn. There is a wonderful wooded area in the back. After seeing a model of the house in Draper I was smitten and we began the process. In January we rented a storage unit and started to go through 29 years of pack ratted stuff. We needed to move—finally, there was pressure to sort and discard.
We put out a For Sale sign in late March and sold the house in 10 days. The new owners wanted to take possession in one month. Our new house would not be finished until the end of September so we moved everything we could live without into a storage unit and moved into an apartment in Kaysville.
The apartment ended up being an adventure in itself and I could write a couple of pages about it. I will just say that we threatened to call the police on our neighbors who had something noisy going on outside our front window night and day.
This time in transition wasn’t a rest. We refinished 19 chairs (three of them with upholstery) 3 tables, curtains for seven windows, a bedspread and various pillows. Mike made 2 stained glass windows. We also ended up finishing 28 doors and 14 panels for the cabinets in the new house but that is a long story that I will leave untold.
We had some summer trips planned but didn’t dare go anywhere because it was necessary to check in on the house daily as there were too many mistakes happening. Maybe this is what house building is always like. It wasn’t very fun.
We moved everything into the garage of the new house from the storage units and apartment the last 3 days of September. Then I walked 50 miles every day for three weeks opening boxes and finding a place for everything. Sometimes the place was DI or the dumpster. We didn’t sort and discard enough in the beginning. Mike may have done permanent hip damage carrying boxes. Two months later he is still hobbling around. This move nearly killed us both.
We love the house and feel lucky to be in such a beautiful place. It has so many convenient aspects that we will enjoy until we move to the rest home.
Late November we flew to San Diego and then drove to Ensanada Mexico to spend a week on the beach with the Whitmer and Johnston Families. Jared Johnston rode his motorcycle in the Baja 1000 race and his sister Tara rented a house that held 20 of us to be there and support him. It was a rest we needed.
Beau is still in LA working for Electronic Arts. He made a WWII video game this year. We see him every other week as he flies home to be with Michael. We taught Michael how to play baseball in our apartment back yard this summer. Mike got him his own golf clubs and hopefully now he will make him into a good golf partner. Michael started Kindergarten and is growing up too fast. I cherish his beautiful little soul. Colette is the best mom ever and a daughter we adore.
Maren was made manager of the new Tai Pan store in Clearfield. It was a great career advancement for her but she is paying the price this Christmas season with 14 hour days.
Ian moved to Portland the end of last year. A gallery sponsored a show for him in August. He worked very hard all summer oil painting 12 paintings for the show. It was nice to see him work hard and get some exposure.
Leif is in Seattle. He plans to get back in school this year, hopefully at the University of Washington. He wants to get a teachers certificate in photography. He has worked as a student mentor in a city photography program this year and likes working with young people.
The move put a big halt to my painting but I have a wonderful new studio and plan to get started again when the holidays are over. I did paint a still life that I had made into tile for my kitchen backsplash. It turned out to be a fun addition to the kitchen.
Mike’s days are numbered at work but we don’t quite know what that number is. He is only working half time now and may retire for good sometime next.
I try to write something regularly and teach a class on occasion to Relief Societies. In February I have a group signed up for a 6 week class in "Writing Family Stories."We are involved with about 6 people in a Spanish discussion group. Mike is our fearless leader. He has been great with lots of creative ideas to keep us learning. After 9 months we are seeing some progress. Mike just needs some immersion and he will be fluent. I just need more time to study and maybe I will progress. That is my new year’s resolution. I feel a Spanish speaking mission coming on.
I now have a blog and am excited about the prospects to share lots of ideas, recipes, stories and pictures. Check it out and please leave me a comment if you do. It is:http://charmainesgibblegabble.blogspot.com/
Life is good. I hope it is for you also.
Love, Charmaine
Wow! What a year this has been for us. In some ways it seems a bit unreal. After living in our house in Farmington for 29 years I didn’t think we would ever leave. In October 2006 we became enchanted with a lot we walked by every morning on our hill climb. It is in a gated area where there will be 35 houses and someone will shovel the snow and mow our lawn. There is a wonderful wooded area in the back. After seeing a model of the house in Draper I was smitten and we began the process. In January we rented a storage unit and started to go through 29 years of pack ratted stuff. We needed to move—finally, there was pressure to sort and discard.
We put out a For Sale sign in late March and sold the house in 10 days. The new owners wanted to take possession in one month. Our new house would not be finished until the end of September so we moved everything we could live without into a storage unit and moved into an apartment in Kaysville.
The apartment ended up being an adventure in itself and I could write a couple of pages about it. I will just say that we threatened to call the police on our neighbors who had something noisy going on outside our front window night and day.
This time in transition wasn’t a rest. We refinished 19 chairs (three of them with upholstery) 3 tables, curtains for seven windows, a bedspread and various pillows. Mike made 2 stained glass windows. We also ended up finishing 28 doors and 14 panels for the cabinets in the new house but that is a long story that I will leave untold.
We had some summer trips planned but didn’t dare go anywhere because it was necessary to check in on the house daily as there were too many mistakes happening. Maybe this is what house building is always like. It wasn’t very fun.
We moved everything into the garage of the new house from the storage units and apartment the last 3 days of September. Then I walked 50 miles every day for three weeks opening boxes and finding a place for everything. Sometimes the place was DI or the dumpster. We didn’t sort and discard enough in the beginning. Mike may have done permanent hip damage carrying boxes. Two months later he is still hobbling around. This move nearly killed us both.
We love the house and feel lucky to be in such a beautiful place. It has so many convenient aspects that we will enjoy until we move to the rest home.
Late November we flew to San Diego and then drove to Ensanada Mexico to spend a week on the beach with the Whitmer and Johnston Families. Jared Johnston rode his motorcycle in the Baja 1000 race and his sister Tara rented a house that held 20 of us to be there and support him. It was a rest we needed.
Beau is still in LA working for Electronic Arts. He made a WWII video game this year. We see him every other week as he flies home to be with Michael. We taught Michael how to play baseball in our apartment back yard this summer. Mike got him his own golf clubs and hopefully now he will make him into a good golf partner. Michael started Kindergarten and is growing up too fast. I cherish his beautiful little soul. Colette is the best mom ever and a daughter we adore.
Maren was made manager of the new Tai Pan store in Clearfield. It was a great career advancement for her but she is paying the price this Christmas season with 14 hour days.
Ian moved to Portland the end of last year. A gallery sponsored a show for him in August. He worked very hard all summer oil painting 12 paintings for the show. It was nice to see him work hard and get some exposure.
Leif is in Seattle. He plans to get back in school this year, hopefully at the University of Washington. He wants to get a teachers certificate in photography. He has worked as a student mentor in a city photography program this year and likes working with young people.
The move put a big halt to my painting but I have a wonderful new studio and plan to get started again when the holidays are over. I did paint a still life that I had made into tile for my kitchen backsplash. It turned out to be a fun addition to the kitchen.
Mike’s days are numbered at work but we don’t quite know what that number is. He is only working half time now and may retire for good sometime next.
I try to write something regularly and teach a class on occasion to Relief Societies. In February I have a group signed up for a 6 week class in "Writing Family Stories."We are involved with about 6 people in a Spanish discussion group. Mike is our fearless leader. He has been great with lots of creative ideas to keep us learning. After 9 months we are seeing some progress. Mike just needs some immersion and he will be fluent. I just need more time to study and maybe I will progress. That is my new year’s resolution. I feel a Spanish speaking mission coming on.
I now have a blog and am excited about the prospects to share lots of ideas, recipes, stories and pictures. Check it out and please leave me a comment if you do. It is:http://charmainesgibblegabble.blogspot.com/
Life is good. I hope it is for you also.
Love, Charmaine
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